End of Semester One Reflections-2
What changes have you seen this semester in regards to your education? What role did technology play in that change? What role did the constructivist philosophy play in that change? (constructivist-students becoming producers of information, students in charge of their own learning)
Make sure to include specific examples and expand on each other's ideas.
posted by annes @ 8:01 AM
16 Comments:
In this class, most of the students used their laptops to produce information and as a helping tool through school. We could come in and check our grades and talk to our teacher about missing assignments and we could communicate without disrupting what others had to say. I thought that the laptops were the most empowering tool that I have ever used in my education. I think that all students should have the same opportunity that we have had. All students should be able to have control over their education and that is what happens when you have a laptop.
There have been many changes in my education since I started out in this class this year. With the ability to use the laptops, I now think about projects and assignments in a different way. I also think that my education has definitely been strengthened by the use of the laptops and doing the fishbowls. You get to hear other people's opinions about situations in the book we're reading or connections they've made that you might have not even thought about.
In normal classes, you hardly ever get to hear someone else's opinion or sometimes you might not even get to make your own. What you need to think is fed to you from the teacher and you don't have a choice of whether you want to believe that or not.
Technology has helped our learning so much this year, whether we were typing out an essay test, blogging, or fishbowling on skype, everything has added to our learning.
One huge change I saw in my learning this semester in my education was the ability to direct my own learning. In this class, we were given many freedoms that other classes did not allow. We directed where we were going and we decided how we were going to do many things, not only as a class but as individuals as well. In this class there was no rubric, and there wasn’t someone there to hold your hand and help you through everything. In this class, we had to responsible for our assignments, and had to do many things on our own.
Technology played a large role in our new learning, mostly because we changed many of the more tradition ways of learning to a more technology based learning. We used online books for annotating, etc. We also used programs like blogger (which ironically we are using now) and skype to have discussions over literature. The technology gave us more independence and put more responsibility on us.
The role constructivist philosophy played was important as well. Like I mentioned earlier, we were in charge of our learning most of the time. This is a totally different concept then regular classes, because the students in this class are not always the consumers, but also the producers.
This semester I have noticed that my education has changed a lot from how it was in middle school. I have learned to take things at a faster pace, multitask better (reading one book in class and another at home), take in more information at a time, and many other things. Using that laptops has helped several aspects of my learning this year. I was able to take more notes during class because I can type faster then I can write on a piece of paper. I was also able to keep my information more organized because everything was on one small USB instead of hundreds of pieces of paper. Also the laptops helped because when I didn’t know a word I could just use the internet to look up what the word meant or look up anything else I needed to. Laptops also helped during fishbowl because when we were discussing something in the center we could just pull up more information on what we were talking about. Using the laptops also helped me to become more of a producer of information instead of a consumer. In pervious years I would rely on the teacher to provide me with all the information. But now I take more and more of my learning into my own hands. I don’t think I would ever be this independent with my learning if it hadn’t been for the laptops.
This first semester has completely changed the way that I learn and connect with my fellow students. Before this class, I was told what exactly to do and how to do it. Because of the technology, I am no longer limited to a posterboard, but many other things as well. Class discussions are more interesting since we are communicating by talking as well as live blogging. This has definately changed the way that I think about discussions. The laptops have made this all possible. I feel in control about what I am learning and that it is a necessity and not mindless information going in through one ear and out the other. This is not education as usual.
I have seen many things that have changed in my education because of this class. Through the many fishbowls that our class has done, I have learned to connect books more than I ever have. Before I would totally forget about a book after I read it, but now I always remember it and I can relate it to other novels. Also I have learned to be more creative due to the extremely broad guidelines on the assignments. In middle school, I could only do what the teacher wanted. Once I even got marked down because my poster board was too big. In Mrs. Smith's class, I am allowed to be more creative with my assignments and won't pay the price for it. The laptops played a large role in my change. With the laptops I can access everything very easily which allows me easier connections. I have all of Macbeth by William Shakespeare on my laptop so I can access that and look for quotes and such instantly. Me being in charge of my own learning and being responsible for it was the main philosophical change. Since I became in charge of my own learning, I have taken it upon myself to learn and try to make connections and such. Before I would just try and see if the teacher would tell me it all. Now I look and find symbols and such in novels by myself. Also, me taking responsibility for my learning has allowed me to realize that I am not getting grades, I am earning them. It is all on me to make my grades not on the teacher.
This semester has been a gift and a curse as far as education goes. The laptops are certainly an asset, although I am afraid they may make it very different in a possibly difficult way for me next year if I don't have laptops. However, in the meantime i'm happy to have them. This technology has played a huge role in changing my education. Before this, I had old-school teachers. The ones that had you read the book, take notes, write and essay, and not do anything to help in the meantime. The laptops make it easier for everyone to help everyone else while we're reading the books. They make fishbowls easier for everyone, and now, everyone gets to participate in the fishbowl, not just the inner circle. Because everyone helps one another, it feels like wew are all in charge of our educations, which is what one of our goals was at the beginning of the year.
The changes I have seen in my education is that I have been able to connect my learning in between classes more often and incorporate what we learn in this class to my other classes. Also I have been able to take control of my learning this semester in this english class. I think that technology has played a huge role in my learning and that it has helped these changes happen by opening up new opportunities and new ways to learn, "This is not education as usual." The Lap tops have created new pathways and a more broad way to learn by all the unlimited resources. Also I think that students being producers of information and being in charge of their education has helped our new learning environment. We would not have been able to have as many changes in our education if students didn't have more responsibility and more freedom in their learning. The students in control of their learning and being producers of information is what made our classroom, "This is not education as usual," and that is what caused our changes in our education.
I definitely think I have more of an interest in learning in general this semester. last year I was usually bored and doing only what was needed. This year, due in part by the laptops, I was more interested and involved with this and other classes. The laptop opened up more possibilities for expanding my learning. Like when we were reading Macbeth, I could look up words that I didn't know right during class, it was much easier with Word's dictionary feature. Also, I took notes right in the document and actually looked back at the notes later. I became more involved with my own learning this semester, and the laptops were a catalyst for that.
This semester for me has been both a charm and an anchor. They both have advantages, and for certian, disadvatages, but one thing is for sure: I had fun. I never once regretted haveing to come to class becuase it was class (although I have when I'm feeling crappy).
Anyways, my education seemed alot more worthwhile while in this room. In past classes, I walked out at the end of a year thinking nothing at all of what we'd done. This year, I know for a fact that I will walk out knowing that I learned some things that will stay with me. These things don't necessarily have anything to do with what we were supposed to do.
I will walk out knowing that I may never be in a classroom where everyone is willing to participate (albeit sometimes begrudgingly), and there is always something to look forward to. Smith's class has opened my eyes to what my education CAN BE, like no other person so far in my rather insignificant life. If I do not get the opportunities to use the technology that we have this semester, I will be greatly disappointed. I know that it is our block, 2nd Hour, that may change education for the future. I didn't really realize that the future was now, until well, now.
There definite ups and downs to what we had to do. But thats just part of the environment.
I for one, dearly hope that we can have a laptop for every student while I am still here.
I think that now, at the end of the first semester, I am better able to ask questions and analyze what I read and apply it to my life. Just last night I was thinking about something totally unrelated to English and I connected it to The Chosen. I feel kind of nerdy when that happens, but now I can make connections without really thinking about them too much. I think that having the laptops in the classroom helped me to become a producer of information, rather than just a consumer. I like the blogging and how I can ask my classmates questions about the books we are reading, and how I can also just get on the Internet to find extra information to clarify what I am reading, instead of lugging around a huge textbook or getting out an encyclopedia. I think that the laptops made my learning more efficient, and I feel like I am thinking more independently than last year.
One thing that has changed is that I'm not as freaked out about english. I know just go with the flow and I feel like there isn't so muchc to worry about. I actually feel prepared for everyday and there is a confidence that I have gained through the first semester.
Technology helped with my development. I learned how to use the computer to my advantage to become stronger(like when writing or just to do research), but I also learned that not everything has to be done on these laptops, and creation has to take into play (like the challenging the system banners). I learned how to annotate, how to connect to many things to our text, and how to multitask inbetween discussions. The use of technology in discussions has been my favorite. I love how we're able to hear everyone's opinion because every opinion can lead to a greater discussion. People who don't like discussions as much (which used to be me) can say what they want without actually joining into the middle conversation. Plus, I learned that with something small, we might be able to change the teaching system itself.
I feel that I have become a producer of information. I ask questions all the time in my reading. I see connections to other texts, to the world, to even my life. I feel as if our class has built upon one another to make one another better, to help one another learn with our own problems and our own mistakes. For example, our mistakes with skype, or our in-class essays. With myself in charge of my learning, I've realized that I really understand more. When I understand it more, I tend to like it more too. For example, Macbeth. When I started reading Macbeth, I had no idea what was going on. Through discussions though and annotating the text numerous times and actually taking the time to really READ, I slowly began to understand.
Before school had started, and I had just gotten my schedule, my mom and I went around to all of my classes to make sure I knew where they were. We walked into Ms. Smith’s room, and I remember thinking,” What is in those cabinets? Why are they locked up?” When I arrived on the first day, and was informed of the fact that this was a laptop class, I like many of the students was overjoyed. What would this class be like? “Challenge the System”? I couldn’t wait to begin school.
After only a few weeks, I found myself a whole different person. I all of the sudden was more organized. Because of the lack of weight in my backpack, I had less junk to carry around with me. I had purchased a USB Jump Drive, and I now use it as back up in case I lose the hard copy of a paper in any class, not just English. This may seem like an exaggeration, but my Biology textbook is now online, saving the school money, I am basically creating my own textbook in Geometry, and the only class I still have a textbook in is History, and even that teacher is talking about switching to online.
As Brian G. said, it is really amazing to be able to control how we learn. It has been proven that every student has a different way of learning, and here we are allowed to learn how we need to, and excel to any and all heights.
Over the semester I have found that my education has changed a decent amount, partially because of the technology, and mostly because of the way we run this class. As producers of information, I feel that I have become more outspoken and it is easier for me to talk to a group. In class, with the technology, we have more freedom and we have learned to take control of our learning. With the fishbowl discussions, we use our own knowledge and do not rely on everyone else to lead us. I tend to take more of a leadership role now than I ever had in the past, and it is showing up in my everyday life. With the freedom we have, it is a lot easier and a lot more fun to take control of the classroom, instead of just following a regular routine of just listening and answering questions that the teacher asks. We ask our own questions and seek to answer them ourselves.
Wow. This semester has brought so many changes, in many different avenues of learning. Not only did we have the change of going from middle school to high school, but we were now expected to be in charge of our own education.
First I want to talk about Student-based classrooms. When you think about it, what is the point of teacher-based classrooms? Really, What is a school? A place for STUDENTS. What are teachers? people to guide STUDENTS. Why are teachers here? to help STUDENTS learn. Do you get my pattern here? school only exists for the STUDENTS. What then, is the explanation behind teacher based classrooms? I can't think of one. This type of education is getting out-dated by the (much better) constructivist system of learning.
In seventh and eigth grade I was in the GT language arts program where everything was student based, and I learned so much those years that actually stayed in my head over summer break. We had Trials where we would learn about a historical event and then act out a trial for one of the key players. We had to make our own strategy, questions and opening and closing statements. Not only was this fun and educational but student led.
Having the laptops in a student-based classroom only enhanced what we could do to guide our education. We have so much information at our fingers that we can go so much deeper into our learning than was possible before. While in other classrooms it might have taken a special trip to the computer lab or an overnight research period we can research information in just minutes, then spend the time we saved discussing it or delving deeper into the concept.
As i'm sure many people have said, the student based classroom setting along with the added technology have pushed us to go deeper, to make connections, and to challenge what other have previously said. We are now running along with the rest of the world, instead of standing still and being left behind.
This semester I have experienced some big changes. First of all, coming into a class where each student has their own laptop is a huge change. I especially liked that my English class was the one that I got to have a laptop in, because we do so much writing in an English class. I found that the laptops were a great way to find a deeper understanding of all of the material in class. I also liked how even though we had the laptops almost everyday, Ms. Smith still chose to not allow us to use the laptops. This was good because I think that we would have gotten a little too dependent on the laptops, and so not using them kind of made a jump back to reality, or just like what all of the other classes have to do. The laptops were probably the biggest change of the first semester, for me at least, but I found that Ms. Smith’s teaching style is unlike any other I have experienced. After all, as Ms. Smith says: “This is not education as usual.” At the beginning of the year, I was a bit confused about that saying, and didn’t really know what to make of it, but as the semester went on, I found that that saying became more and more apparent in our daily learning. Ms. Smith found new ways to get the same outcome, just getting there in a much more creative way, and often times more fun. She was the creator of the fishbowl, which I found extremely beneficial. I really like learning in new ways, and with Ms. Smith, we did that everyday. We students really began to take charge of our learning. We had many visitors to come and watch us, and as Ms. Smith told us, this had never happened before, and was a huge deal. This was also a change for me, because I was not used to being able to make my own decisions, and essentially, choose what we wanted to do with certain assignments. I really liked all of this freedom and responsibility. This semester has been filled with change, with the technology and teaching styles.
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